Why do qualified immigrants often work in low-paid jobs?

Фото: Depositphotos

34-year-old Haftai Berh was a geologist and air pollutant with six years of experience in Ethiopia, before he immigrated to the US in 2015 year. Now he works as a taxi driver.

“This is my only choice for survival, why not? Not as a profession, but only for survival. I’m trying to survive the current situation,” he says.

According to a study published in December by the Institute for Migration Policy (MPI), a quarter of highly skilled immigrants in California are either unemployed or work part-time. In such a situation were almost half a million people.

President Donald Trump recently announced his intention to change the US immigration system - reform that will give priority for visas to highly skilled immigrants. If the US implements a new system, the government may have to develop a mechanism and make significant investments to help immigrants find jobs that match their skills.

According to MPI studies, among foreign-educated immigrants with a bachelor's degree of 38% are underused in the labor market in California. 19% of migrants with a master’s degree and 12% of migrants with a doctorate degree work in positions below their level.

The study says that because of the inefficient use of skilled labor, California annually loses $ 694,8 million in state and local taxes that these immigrants would pay if they had a job matching skills.

Nikki Zicherani, CEO Upwardly global, a national nonprofit organization that helps highly skilled immigrants find work, says that foreigners face many obstacles when looking for work. Some employers do not take foreigners, because they doubt whether they can be trusted. Some professions, such as civil engineers and doctors, require migrants to undergo additional licensing before they get a job.

According to the expert, if high-skilled migrants have appropriate work, then jobs will be released in niches that require low qualifications, which will make these places accessible to Americans in need of work.

Berh did not think that he would face such difficulties when looking for work in his specialty in the USA. He has a bachelor's degree, but this was not enough. He worked as a salesman at a store for two years before becoming a taxi driver about a month ago. Despite the difficulties, he said that he was still happy to live in the United States. And the work he needed in the first place, to provide a wife and child.

He is not the only such immigrant in San Diego. Different taxi drivers, including former doctors, pilots, engineers, teachers or architects, are waiting for their customers near the airport.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How Trump's New Immigration Policy Will Affect the Number of Jobs

10 life hacking for new immigrants in the US

How trump's migration reform will affect immigrants from post-Soviet countries

Geographical disgraces in America, or what we know about the US

Do immigrants in the United States become real Americans

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.